The king – and queen – of the castle

Though most of Switzerland’s castles and palaces are state owned, the descendants are allowed to live in the wings in some cases - like at Waldegg in canton Solothurn. (SRF/swissinfo.ch)

There are around 900 castles and palaces in Switzerland, and because of the high maintenance costs, most of them belong to the state. They house offices as well as museums, have been converted into apartments and are venues for private and public events.

Waldegg in canton Solothurn is over 300 years old, and descendants of the original owner have been calling it home again for the past couple of years. They live in a wing closed to the public.

Swiss castles and other stately buildings are promoted every year on Swiss Castle day, which this year was October 1. During the day, eighteen places across the country were opened for the public to experience history.

The castles included Chillon on Lake Geneva – one of Switzerland’s most visited, the Castelgrande in Bellinzona in Ticino, Thun in the Bernese Alps and Gruyères in Fribourg.